It is said that each step one takes in any natural habitat is being supported by thousands of tiny legs of soil-dwelling arthropods. A major portion of these belong to oribatid mites, yet North American biologists never have had a resource that could take them from zero knowledge to species identification. Now they do - but this book is far more than an identification guide to an underappreciated group of diverse and fascinating animals. The experienced and knowledgeable authors introduce well-referenced topics that show how oribatid mites can help us address a vast range of biological, ecological and biogeographical questions.
-- Roy A. Norton, Emeritus Professor and acarologist, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, USA
This book is an amazing work - impeccably arranged, both methodologically and in terms of content. It supplies a highly reliable and interesting collection of data on the taxonomy, ecology and geographic distribution of oribatid mites in all ecosystems of Canadian and Alaskan landscapes. The authors present an original interpretation of the high diversity, ecological importance, and natural causes of occurrence of these mites across many different ecosystems throughout the world. This book is unrivalled in the worldwide scientific literature in its field, and it will certainly meet with major interest, both in and outside Canada.
-- Wojciech Niedbala, Emeritus Professor, Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland
This is a book I wish I had had available when I started working on oribatid mites. It is unique in providing a comprehensive compendium of all aspects of acarine biology, making it an ideal introduction that will serve as a treasured reference book for a long time, fostering a holistic understanding of these fascinating, but often understudied organisms. Bringing all these informations on form, function, phylogeny and distribution together in one comprehensible and concise collection will no doubt incite the widened interest and collaborative research the oribatida deserve. Many thanks to all authors for undertaking the effort to provide us with this invaluable resource.
-- Paavo Bergmann, Department of Biology, Konstanz University, Germany
It is said that each step one takes in any natural habitat is being supported by thousands of tiny legs of soil-dwelling arthropods. A major portion of these belong to oribatid mites, yet North American biologists never have had a resource that could take them from zero knowledge to species identification. Now they do - but this book is far more than an identification guide to an underappreciated group of diverse and fascinating animals. The experienced and knowledgeable authors introduce well-referenced topics that show how oribatid mites can help us address a vast range of biological, ecological and biogeographical questions.
-- Roy A. Norton, Emeritus Professor and acarologist, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, USA
This book is an amazing work - impeccably arranged, both methodologically and in terms of content. It supplies a highly reliable and interesting collection of data on the taxonomy, ecology and geographic distribution of oribatid mites in all ecosystems of Canadian and Alaskan landscapes. The authors present an original interpretation of the high diversity, ecological importance, and natural causes of occurrence of these mites across many different ecosystems throughout the world. This book is unrivalled in the worldwide scientific literature in its field, and it will certainly meet with major interest, both in and outside Canada.
-- Wojciech Niedbala, Emeritus Professor, Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland
This is a book I wish I had had available when I started working on oribatid mites. It is unique in providing a comprehensive compendium of all aspects of acarine biology, making it an ideal introduction that will serve as a treasured reference book for a long time, fostering a holistic understanding of these fascinating, but often understudied organisms. Bringing all these informations on form, function, phylogeny and distribution together in one comprehensible and concise collection will no doubt incite the widened interest and collaborative research the oribatida deserve. Many thanks to all authors for undertaking the effort to provide us with this invaluable resource.
-- Paavo Bergmann, Department of Biology, Konstanz University, Germany
